Free Tickets to this Weekend's WhiskeyFest Northwest!

Weekend whiskey lovers rejoice: this weekend's WhiskeyFest Northwest, a celebration of everyone's (at least my) favorite dark spirit, promises a grand old time in Northwest Portland. Complete with music, food, and of course, more distilleries than you can safely sample in one day, the fun runs 11 am to 10 pm on May 11, and is organized by the Luna Foundation to benefit CASA for Children, a nonprofit that "advocates for children in the court system who have been abused or neglected to get them into a permanent home safely, quickly and effectively."

Featuring the full spectrum of whiskeys from Bourbon staples like Jim Beam to Irish favorite Jameson, a $25 admission includes tasting tokens for three of the featured distilleries with additional tokens available for $2 each. Food will be available for purchase from vendors like Bunk Sandwiches, Fire on the Mountain, and What’s The Scoop, with Widmer Bros. brews and a full cocktail bar—pardon me, a "Bootlegger Lounge"—rounding out with lower-proof offerings. A cocktail competition and tasting contest will interrupt a music schedule featuring tunes from Bronze Radio Return, Spirit Family Reunion, Sassprilla, and more. The festival is located at NW 11th and Northrup and tickets are available here UNLESS you're the winner of the two special tickets that the ever-generous giveaway gods have dropped in our laps. For a shot at the freebies, e-mail your name to our editor here by noon on Friday with "WHISKEY" in the subject line and we'll choose a single winner of two passes to this inaugural event. Happy drinking, Blogtown!